Losing the Old Ways
by copsnlawyers
Summary: Spock attends the funeral of a friend, may be considered AT'P


Title: Losing the Old Ways  
Rating: PG  
Author's note: I took serious artistic license with this one. Just so you all know.

* * *

Spock stood at the gravesite of someone who played a very large part in his life. He was upset that so few of his people came to this great woman's funeral. She was a pioneer of her race, and to most of Vulcan society her place is forgotten.

* * *

She was the first Vulcan to serve with humans and as such, began our partnership with them. She was the one who endured the prejudices; she was the one who made life for all the other Vulcans possible. She was the one who made me possible. Without T'Pol's influence my father and mother would have never felt it acceptable to be together.

T'Pol's time on Earth led the humans to believe that alliances with other planets and other species were important to their evolution as a species and in fact did help them as a people, to grow up a bit. Her influence was a major factor in the development of the United Federation of Planets, and helped shaped the universe as it is today. This is why the attendance of only eight Vulcans and two humans annoys me.

Before I met T'pol the first time, my father told me of his encounters with her. He had first met her when he had become the Vulcan Ambassador to the Federation, her former position. At that time her husband, Fleet Admiral Jonathan Archer, was alive and still on the Active Duty Roster at Starfleet Command, though he was due for retirement.

My mother was pregnant with me at the time, and that thrilled T'Pol and Archer, even though she tried not to show it. The older Vulcans had more emotions than those like my father, who experienced the new type of mind training. Archer told my father that they would have tried it if science would have allowed, but instead they adopted two children Susan and Tomas, both of which were in Starfleet following in their parents' footsteps. They were raised respecting both the cultures of Vulcan and Earth, and together they managed to teach their children that every culture was valuable to the Universe. She said that Admiral Archer truly embodied the Vulcan Philosophy "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations".

My father and T'Pol continued to talk about her abandonment of the Vulcan traditions because of her relationship with the Admiral, and how he had done the same. T'Pol believed that the intermingling of the two species was something that was inevitable.

I first met her at Admiral Archer's Funeral even though I do not remember it that well; I was just recently born. I just remember the outpouring of grief coming from everyone in the room. These people, all of these people, saw him as a great man and they respected him for the personal steps he took to begin the Federation.

The next time I saw T'Pol was when she wanted to see me before I officially entered the academy. She told me not to let the teachings of Vulcan hinder my life among humans, and that if I did, I would ultimately hinder my own growth. T'pol also told me that she had done just that, walled off her emotions, tried to be as "Vulcan" as possible and that only furthered the hatred and prejudice that humanity held for the arrogant Vulcans. Once she let some emotions through, no matter how Vulcan she tried to make them seem, life became easier for her and for the crew of the Enterprise. Though she did admit that it might be easier for me because I was half human. She then wished me luck and I left her home on Earth, to go to my very first academy class.

She and I shared frequent meetings during my entire time on Earth. She kept me abreast of any changes in her life as I did with mine. Perhaps as a half Vulcan and a Vulcan who became accustomed to life on Earth, we established a mother/son relationship. I am very grateful for it.

Unlike my father, when Admiral Archer died, T'Pol chose not to bond with anyone else. She said she promised him that he was her one and only mate and that she would be with no other. Perhaps that is why there are so few of my people in attendance, she was a radical in her time and that gave her a Stigma. She was an alien among her people, as was I for a time.

I only wish to live as well as she did. T'Pol was someone that we should all aspire to be. Her resilience and willingness to accept change, along with some others of her time, helped to allow Vulcan to become part of the universe as it stands today. She opened up doors of opportunity for myself and others. I will miss her.

Spock continued to reflect on his thoughts as T'Pol's ashes were buried next to Admiral Archer's body. The other attendants at the funeral were taken aback at her headstone, which she refused to allow anyone to see until she died. It read:

**Archer**

**Jonathan**  
Born: October 25, 2113  
Died: January 18, 2211

**T'Pol**  
Born: June 30, 2107  
Died: July 16, 2311

Unable are the Loved to die  
For Love is Immortality.  
~ Emily Dickinson  


Spock's thoughts continued:

I had often wondered why she refused to bond with another; I suppose her eternal association with the Admiral was something she wanted to hold on to. She never used his name while he was alive. It is highly unusual that she would do it now, though it is not unexpected. I am glad that she is with The Admiral; I wish them eternal happiness no matter how illogical that may seem. A Vulcan chose an emotion to describe her life, from an Earth poet no less. Their epitaph does not speak of what they have accomplished in life, but how they are today. Interesting.

When it was over, Spock returned to the Transport site and requested to beam back aboard the Enterprise, somewhat honored that he held the same position as T'Pol on a ship with the same name.


End file.
